


[Aruani] Always

by Takiiraa



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Alternate Universe - Hospital, Aruani Week, Character Death, F/M, Falling In Love, Friendship/Love, Love Confessions, Modern Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan, Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 21:21:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 19
Words: 16,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29160345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Takiiraa/pseuds/Takiiraa
Summary: Transplanted, Annie lives with an artificial heart while waiting for a real one. Knowing that death can survive at any time, she decides to live like a normal young woman but refuses to become attached.A promise that she will have difficulty keeping when she meets Armin.
Relationships: Armin Arlert/Annie Leonhart
Comments: 2
Kudos: 46





	1. Chapter 1

\- Come on! Another 4 laps and we stop! ordered the sports teacher looking at his pupils.

  
Her shoes were hitting the track as she accelerated her run. Her muscles were pulling on her legs and sweat was pouring down her forehead. What was the idea of running in a sun as deadly as today? Annie never understood sports teachers. Some said that when it rained, it was a wonderful time to run! My arse thought she. 

  
She noticed that her classmates suffered just as much as she did. Some would quietly walk back when the teacher's back was turned. Annie kept up the pace. She was athletic by nature and had been involved in sports, including boxing, since she was a child. Surpassing herself was her speciality, so it wasn't a stupid race that was going to neglect her. 

  
Accelerating her race, she overtook her friends. The finish line was just a few meters away from her. Once passed, she was finally able to take a breather. After this finish line, she will go home, take a hot shower and go to bed in front of a good set. It could have happened like this... if only she hadn't collapsed on the floor. Her muscles had given way and her legs had collapsed under her weight. Her head hit the floor without any kindness and the blonde started to suffocate before her whole being trembled. 

  
An epileptic seizure. Total blackness. Voices were calling out to her but she didn't answer anymore. A gaping hole had formed beneath her and no hand was reaching out for her to hold on to.   
But this was nothing to what would follow. Annie was rushed to the hospital and suffered two heart attacks. The second one was almost fatal, but being stubborn, the blonde couldn't let it go and kept hanging on and on. 

  
Her life had changed since that day. She was in an induced coma in order to calm her pain and think of a solution, the doctor concluded that Annie was suffering from severe heart failure. A genetic disease that weakened her heart. Her heart could no longer do its job of pumping, so it could no longer respond to the body's needs and she needed help.

After many discussions, the conclusion was without expectation: Annie needed a transplant if she was to survive. Unfortunately, heart transplants were very rare as families refused to give up this precious organ. Annie was kept alive by machines that kept her heart beating and helped her breathe, including small tubes that brought oxygen into her nostrils. Nailed in a hospital bed, she stared at the life that continued to unfold through her window. She was so envious of her young people, who were having fun and laughing at the top of their lungs while she was bored to death. Her adoptive father came to see her every day after work. These were her only moments of joy, but they evaporated as soon as he left. 

  
But she had regained hope when she was selected to undergo a transplant of an artificial heart. Despite the risks, her father had accepted. He saw the determination and joy in his daughter's eyes. He wanted her to get out of here so that she could live. 

  
This heart had changed her life. 

  
Now 20 years old, Annie had been living with an artificial heart for almost 3 years. She carried it in a backpack. A pump plugged into her heart to make it beat and batteries. The tubes were disappearing at the level of her lower belly, covered with a grey bandage. It was quite impressive to see but Annie had gotten used to it. 

  
She was alive and wanted to enjoy it. 


	2. Chapter 2

Observing the professor, the blonde lowered her eyes to her computer where the cursor appeared and disappeared. She pressed her chin against the palm of her hand and glanced at Hitch, who was half asleep behind the screen. Indeed, it was quite boring material. Philosophy literature didn't excite her that much and she didn't have the head to think about what consciousness was. 

  
She wanted to be an author. She wanted to transcribe her life in writing. If she was still alive. 

  
\- Tonight we're having a party, do you want to come?   
\- No, I have to go to the hospital.   
\- Ah yes, that's right," Hitch answered, stretching his arms out in front of her, cracking his bones. 

  
The class ended and the students disappeared at the speed of light. Annie put her heart on her back and grabbed her other bag containing her laptop. She won some awkward gestures from her friend who wished her luck before disappearing from her sight. 

  
They were close and told each other almost everything. Hitch was probably the only person who supported her. Of course, the feeling was mutual because Hitch was not easy to live with. Obsessed with the desire to find a boyfriend, Annie found herself almost always in the evening so that she could do her shopping. It was fun but the blonde would have preferred to hang out in front of a show.

Besides, Hitch teased her a lot about finding love but Annie knew very well that with that heart she was carrying around, she was scary. That when she took off her top, her partner would see a bandage where two tubes disappeared into her skin. He would find this disgusting.   
Then even. She could die at any moment. 

  
No, she wanted to be alone. 

_Maria Hospital - 18 :25_

\- Hello Annie, smiles her cardiologist and invites her in. How are you feeling?   
\- Fine thanks and you?   
\- I'm great! exclaimed Dr. Zoe. I bought a new turtle because the other one... I found it on its back and it was dead.   
\- Ah, that's sad.   
\- Yes, go lie down. We'll see if this little heart is working properly!

  
Annie unbuttoned the buttons on her shirt and lay down on the little bed. She put her head down and looked up at the ceiling. 

  
She was often anxious. Stressed about discovering a defect in her heart. She stared at each line of her doctor to read her face, trying to get answers. Hanji Zoe had been with her since she was hospitalized when she was 14 years old. She had promised to stay by her side until she was free of this disease. Annie liked her even though she was a total nutcase. She was very good at what she did and she had a lot of respect for that. 

  
Staring at the small screen, Hanji smiled and turned to the young woman. 

  
\- Nothing to report, everything works!

  
Annie blew. She put her clothes back on and listened to the same speech as she had been listening to for years. Nodding her head, she shook the hand of her guardian angel and pulled her heart on her back before leaving the room. Annie knew the hospital by heart. Despite its endless corridors, she could find her way around without any problem. 

  
The rain started to fall when she came out. She watched as people rushed to try to cover themselves in the nasty rain that was hitting them. Sitting on the bench under a bus shelter, she put her blue eyes on her heels. Crossing her legs, she straightened her head when she heard mocking laughter. 

  
\- Watch your step!" replied a rather young voice.

  
The blonde glanced at a young man sitting beside her, sighing as if he had just escaped from a murderer. A boy her age, short blond hair, dressed almost like her, in a long black coat and leather men's boots. He carried a satchel on his right shoulder and a shirt where drawings were stored. 

  
\- Why do you let yourself be taken in? she asked without looking at him. 

  
Armin raised his head towards her. 

  
\- If you stay like that, you'll quickly lose out.  
\- I didn't lose. 

  
The blonde turned her eyes towards him.

  
\- Because I didn't leave. 


	3. Chapter 3

\- How was your day? asked his mother, looking up from her pan.   
\- Well, if we put aside the bunch of idiots who keep bothering me," replied Armin as he set the table. I try to ignore them but they're annoying me.   
\- Do you want me to go to the...   
\- No, this is a matter I have to settle alone. I'm 20 years old, I'm tall. 

  
Going up to his room, he pulled out his chair and took out his science and maths lessons on his desk. He opened his filing cabinet and went through the sheet of paper full of calculations. Numbers and problems incomprehensible to an average student but Armin understood everything. He had a facility for learning that could stir up the jealousy of his classmates. Putting aside his mocking looks and insults, Armin lived a rather quiet life. Surrounded by a loving family and a crazy group of friends, he was happy and asked for nothing else. 

  
Nibbling the tip of his pencil, he played the piano on his calculator and finished his exercises before closing his classes. He watched the shirt lying by his desk and grabbed it before opening it. All his sketches, portraits and landscapes that he drew were there. He drew a drawing that he hadn't finished and put it in front of him. Sharpening his paper pencil, he began to scribble strokes when his mobile phone rang. 

  
_"Evening tomorrow evening! "A message from Eren._

  
Armin stared at his mobile phone and then at his drawing. 

  
_"Don't say no! You have to find someone! "Eren's message._

  
The blond man sighed. Given his silhouette, no one would want him and he was terrified to love. No, he wouldn't. 

  
_"Well, I know you're thinking there. Just come on, a night out with your mates! " message from Eren._   
_"Ok, I'll come. " a message from Armin._

_Shiganshina University._

  
Drinking water, Eren closed the bottle with its cap and put it on the table of the amphitheater. He glanced at his best friend, who was playing on the keyboard of his screen at full speed, without looking up at the professor. A real machine, this guy. 

  
Armin pushed his half-round glasses over his nose and finally raised his head towards Eren who rubbed his eyes. 

  
\- Why are you following a science degree when you suck at it?   
\- Shut your mouth Armin," replied the brunette, redoing his ponytail. You're mean.

  
The blond smiled and turned his head towards Mikasa who was sitting next to him. She had just come out of the hairdresser's and had cut her hair almost boyishly. She was beautiful. A lot of the young men in the class were into her but she rejected every request. Armin knew very well why. 

  
\- Look, she's beautiful," Eren whispered, elbowing Armin's arm.  
\- Mm," muttered the blond man, transferring his intention to the screen.  
\- And what about her?   
\- Eren.   
\- It's OK, you'll have to stop jerking off in front of videos. You have to do it in real life...   
\- Eren, I'm going to kill you!

  
He sneered before he drew the wrath of the science teacher. 

  
\- I remind you that there is no age. I want to take my time so I take my time," Armin murmured. And then, look at me...   
\- You're very handsome," Eren cut. I'm sure some gays would like to ride you.   
\- Mikasa shot him. 

  
She laughed. 

  
\- Who's coming tonight? she asked.   
\- Reiner, Connie, Sasha... Reiner's bringing two of his buddies, I hear. One is studying business and the other is studying literature. A student, he teased. 

Armin looked at Mikasa who smiled at him. 

  
_House of the Brauns._

  
\- Hello my babies!" Reiner smiles, his arms wide open before hugging his three friends. How are you doing? Armin, I hope you're lifting your head out of your books!  
\- He's trying," Eren laughed as he accepted a glass of alcohol he handed him. 

  
Armin refused the drink and set his eyes on a young woman who joined them and a man twice his size. 

  
\- This is Berthold Hoover and Annie Leonhart," smiled Reiner, now putting his arms around the shoulders of his two childhood friends. They've put up with me since birth!  
\- We've never seen you before," Mikasa said smiling.   
\- We're on the same campus but the buildings are quite far away," replied Berthold. Nice to meet you!

  
The blond didn't take his eyes off Annie until Eren pinched her ribs without kindness. The music began to play softly as the group sat down in the living room, glass in hand. It was a good atmosphere, everyone was laughing, joking and joking around while others were just watching the conversation go on. The young blond boy took another look to his right, where Annie was. 

  
_It was definitely the girl on the bus._

  
\- I didn't think I'd see you again," he said.   
\- It's a small world, Annie replied, putting one arm around the bag beside her. So you're a 'mathlete'?

  
He giggled softly. 

  
\- I like numbers indeed. I find it interesting to study. And you're a writer?   
\- Letters are fascinating.   
\- Favourite author?   
\- M.J Arlidge," Annie replied after a moment's reflection. I also like Maxime Chattam's trilogy of evil. Do you?   
\- I don't have one, Armin confessed. But I am passionate about fantasy. Maxime Chattam, is it a detective story?   
\- Yes, it is. French author and Arlidge, British, said Annie, crossing her legs, molding herself in the back of the sofa.   
\- Do you know the "Cabane Magique"? A shop in the city center that sells cheap second-hand books. 

  
Annie shook her head negatively. 

  
\- Can we... Can we go there together? After school?   
\- I thought people who were in science majors never left their homes.

  
He laughed, rubbing his hands together. 

  
\- Maybe, but it feels good to get out and see other people. 

  
They discovered each other and talked mainly about literature. Armin was beginning to like him a lot. She was a beautiful woman, dressed in tight black jeans, boots with fairly high heels, pointed shoes and a long black coat. A businesswoman look. At the same time he noticed that she often held her bag close to her, she had moved it on her thighs. He seemed to be everything to her. He wondered what was in it.

  
Armin turned his head towards Reiner, drunk, who stumbled and stumbled over him and Annie. 

  
\- Fuck, go have fun somewhere else!" Annie scolded, pushing her friend who kissed the floor. 

  
A nice evening!


	4. Chapter 4

\- Annie? 

  
The blonde didn't answer. Lying in her bed with her head in her pillow, she was trying to make up for her short night because of last night's party. What idea was it to have accepted when there was a class the next day, seriously? 

  
\- Annie?!

  
Her father panicked in her room and blew when he saw her put her head up.

  
\- What?   
\- Stop scaring me like that and answer when I call you!

  
The blonde watched her and turned her head towards her alarm clock: 8:25 am.

  
\- Shit, I'm late," she blew, dropping her face into her pillow. 

_Shiganshina University_

  
Annie thanked her father and pushed the door open before slamming it. She pulled her backpack over her back and put the shoulder strap of her satchel over her right shoulder. Arriving late for college was not a problem, especially if it was a lecture. In this case, if it was a TD, Annie would have had to give a justification for her absence. 

  
She will use her illness as always. This crap had to be used.

  
After class, she joined Hitch at the college library. It was a place Annie liked. A place full of books of all kinds. Sitting at a long table, she gazed at the novel she was to study: Albert Camus' The Stranger by Albert Camus. Annie was not really a fan of this book. Perhaps because of the author's writing and this rather special narrator. She looked up when she saw Hitch, who had already given up and had his head in her arms. Her mobile phone vibrated and she took her eyes off the novel. 

  
_"I'm done with school, do you want to go now? "Armin's message._

  
Annie looked at her watch: 16:00. 

  
Coming out of college, she looked for that blonde face she had met a few days ago. She found him sitting on a bench. He was wearing a long black coat, canvas jeans pulled up at the ankles with hems, still his boots and a white jumper. 

  
_Cute._

  
Armin raised his head when a shadow overhung him. He took off his headphones and quickly straightened up. 

  
\- I thought you were going to finish later," said Annie.   
\- Thursday is the only day I finish early," said the blond man walking beside her. Do you live here?   
\- I live out of town, in the country, do you?  
\- Not very far from here.   
\- But you come by car? she asked frowning. Take the bus.   
\- We need the car to go to the shop, he smiled. 

  
The landscape tapered before his eyes, Annie silently contemplated the many cars on the road. Downtown was about ten minutes away by car. Armin told her that it was a place he liked to come to for books. The manager was an old man who was passionate about the area and adorable. 

  
The little bell rang when the blond man pushed the door open, letting Annie in. 

  
\- Armin! exclaimed the old man, taking off his glasses while closing his novel.   
\- Hello, are you all right?" Armin smiled, shaking his hand. I'm bringing you some customers.  
\- Hello," answered Annie with a small smile before contemplating the space filled with books. 

  
Large old shelves overhung them and sometimes you had to take a ladder to try to find your happiness. 

  
_The grail._

\- Come on, this is the floor where the detective stories are," Armin said.

  
The blonde followed her new friend, who could no longer standstill. She grabbed the bars of the ladder and climbed up before sticking her head out of the opening. More books. Paradise. A small sofa was at the bottom where there were piles of untidy books. It was a bit of a mess, but the blonde thought there was a cozy side to it. 

  
\- A book costs two euros, says Armin.  
\- A bargain," smiles the blonde as she looks at the titles of the novels.   
\- After the latest novels are not there, but... You can find her happiness here. 

  
Annie grabbed a book at random and turned it over to read the summary. Interesting. She took off her backpack and sat down on the sofa. Armin was still looking. He wasn't a big fan of thrillers but he was trying to find a book. Changing genres wasn't going to hurt him. When he got his hands on a possible treasure, he joined Annie and started to open it. 

  
\- I think I'm going to crack. 

  
The young blonde looked up at him.

  
\- Are you going to buy one?   
\- I have several to read, but how can I resist in the face of all this?   
\- I confess, I think I'm going to do the same," said Annie, looking at the novel in her hands.

  
Paying for the books after staying more than thirty minutes contemplating them, they left the shop. It must have been after 5 p.m. and Annie had to go home because she had to go on with an essay that was bothering her. She was really not a fan of this kind of exercise but if she wanted to pass her year she had to do it. She preferred to stay with him. He was nice but she didn't want to get too attached. Death was chasing her, she didn't want to make her suffer anymore. Hitch hadn't let her go, she was very grateful, but she knew that when her heart was about to explode, she was going to destroy her and her father. 

  
Armin continued to tell her things. He was very cultured and she felt like an idiot around him. He would talk to her about numbers or completely incomprehensible calculations that she didn't even know existed. As she continued walking, she heard someone running behind her at full speed and her backpack was forced out. The blond man was shoved by the thief who took the bag with him when Annie screamed in pain. Terrified by all the glances at him, he let go of the bag and ran away at full speed. Armin caught up with Annie, who collapsed to the ground with her hand on her lower abdomen. 

  
\- Hey?! panicked the blond man before grabbing the bag that was on the ground, pulling it closer to her. Are you OK?! Did he hurt you? 

  
She clenched her jaw before closing her eyes and concentrating on her breathing. 

  
_Breathe, breathe in. You're not bleeding. The tube didn't come out or you would be having a heart attack. Nothing is disconnected._

  
Armin frowned as he noticed a pipe coming out of the bag and disappearing under Annie's coat.

  
\- Annie's...? What is it?" he asked in a feverish voice, still under stress.   
\- What you're holding... in your hands," she breathed between sighs. It's my heart. 


	5. Chapter 5

_Arlert's house._

  
Still stunned by this revelation, Armin watched him in silence while Annie analyzed the batteries in his hands. She could regulate the pressure with these objects but also stop her life. But generally speaking, the artificial heart was autonomous and regulated itself according to the activities the blonde was doing. If she ran, it would beat harder. 

  
\- Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital to... to see if everything is all right? he asked, handing her a glass of water.   
\- I'll already be dead," Annie replied, putting the two batteries on the blond man's bed before taking the glass of water.   
\- Are you in heart failure? 

  
She nodded her head as she drank.

  
\- Will you... tell me about it?   
\- Tell you what?  
\- Your story. 

  
Annie raised her eyebrows and took her drink with both hands. 

  
\- I was fourteen when it all started. It was at a sports class where we had to run. I collapsed without knowing why and had two heart attacks. I was in an induced coma for three months and the doctor diagnosed heart failure which my grandfather had. He died of it. I was in the hospital until I was 17 years old before I was transplanted but this transplant was only temporary. I have been waiting for a heart for 6 years now. 

  
The blond man listened to her without cutting it, immersed in her incredible story. He couldn't believe it. She was incredible, brave and strong. 

  
\- But thanks to this artificial heart I can live almost normally. That's it.   
\- I didn't think that...   
\- It doesn't show," Annie cut in. It's quite discreet. Yes, the scars on my body were removed due to the operations.   
\- You... You're still beautiful," Armin mumbled, lowering his eyes to his knees. 

  
Annie raised an eyebrow. 

  
\- You'll change your mind when you see my scars and the two tubes in my body," she continued looking at him.   
\- Even with this I think you are beautiful. Illness shouldn't be an obstacle.   
\- I see you coming Armin. 

  
He blinked. 

  
\- That look. I'll be honest with you. Don't get attached.   
\- Why? he blushed.  
\- Because I'm a bomb. I explode, I destroy everything. 

  
Sitting at the dining table, Armin stared at his plate without touching it. Thinking elsewhere, he turned his fork, wrapping his spaghetti between the blades in deadly silence. 

  
\- Are you all right? asked his mother.   
\- Yes, I'm fine.   
\- Tell me," began his father with a little teasing smile. Annie is a very nice girl, how did you meet her? 

  
He blushed. 

  
\- Um...at the party.  
\- Is she in college?  
\- Literature college. Sophomore year. 

  
The two parents looked at each other. 

  
\- Armin, we know that look. What's up?   
\- I think that... that I'm in love. 

  
They giggled while Armin felt his head burning even more. 

  
\- And? Why are you getting yourself in such a state? his mother asked.   
\- She... She told me not to get attached.   
\- She's already understood everything," smiled the father as he drank his glass of water.   
\- Why?" added his mother.   
\- She's transplanted. She has an artificial heart. 

  
Armin raised his head and observed his parents.

  
\- That's why she refused to let me take her bag so she could take off her coat? asked her mother tenderly. 

  
He nodded his head. 

  
\- I think she likes you. If she doesn't want you to get attached to her, it's probably to protect you. 

  
Lying on his bed, Armin fixed the ceiling. Protecting me? They hardly knew each other but his feelings were present as soon as he saw him. He couldn't get there. He couldn't get her out of his head. He stuck his face in his hands. 

  
Too late, he had already tied himself up. 


	6. Chapter 6

  
_Shiganshina University_

\- I don't understand anything, it pisses me off!" Eren got annoyed as he stared at his sheet of paper where there were graphics. Why am I here?   
\- I remind you that you got into a degree course after losing a bet," Mikasa corrected.   
\- I can well imagine you facing your employer when you tell him: I didn't have my year in economics and I bet to go to science," ironisa Armin said.   
\- I like the risk," said the brunette as he was redoing his ponytail before chewing on his pen. 

  
Armin pressed the buttons on his calculator before writing the result on his paper. He opened his math book and looked through the exercises before looking up at two young women who entered. Annie. It was rare for them to be in the main library at the same time. 

  
**Music: Elite Soundtrack | Oblique Carlos Bayona - You Are Gold**

  
Eren stared at his friend who was completely absent. He put his hand in front of his eyes but no reaction.

  
\- Stop, you're going to come, he said.  
\- Eren, shut your mouth, Armin got angry and grabbed his textbook. Do your exercises, I remind you that we have an exam soon. 

  
The blond man raised his head towards Annie who sat down at a table further away with Hitch. She took out her computer and then a novel that he recognized: Albert Camus' L'Etranger. He knew it by heart. He took off his glasses and grabbed his laptop. 

  
\- Is it almost holiday time? Hitch asked, looking at the boys.   
\- I hope so," said Annie, lowering her eyes to her vibrating mobile phone

_._   
_"Hey" message from Armin._

  
Annie grabbed it and played the piano silently before Hitch leaned over. She couldn't stand her. 

  
\- Who is it? she said with a smile on her lips.  
\- Armin. The guy you call a guy with a monk's haircut.   
\- He's cute. Have you seen each other since the evening?   
\- Yes," Annie added in reply to his message.   
\- What have you been doing?   
\- We have sex.   
\- Is it true?" Hitch exclaimed.   
\- Hitch, you're such an idiot.   
\- You're no fun," she sulked as she grabbed her novel. 

  
_"Hey," Annie's message._

  
Armin watched her when he got the message. Smiling, he answered immediately. 

  
_"It's working hard what I see," Armin's message._

Annie frowned and discreetly raised her eyes in search of him.

  
_"In front of you" message from Armin._

  
She turned her eyes towards him and raised them to the sky, amused. 

  
_"I'm trying to work, but I've got a moron next to me and a guy who's been staring at me for a while. "Annie's message._   
_"So I have to stop talking to you so you can concentrate? " message from Armin._

  
They stared at each other silently, their phones in their hands and did nothing. Neither of them wanted to stop. 

  
_"After school, we're going to go-karting. Do you want to come? "Armin's message._   
_"With my bag, I think it's going to be complicated. "Message from Annie._   
_"I'll bring you a little bag so you can put it on your lap. My dad has lots of them! "Message from Armin._

  
Annie moved back into her chair and looked up at the blond man begging her. Shit, I'm stung. 

  
_"I'm following you. "Message from Annie._

  
End of music 

  
Stopping the car in the car park of the internal go-kart, Mikasa and Eren got out of the car while Armin gave the little bag as promised to the blonde. Annie thanked him with a smile. The small group of Reiner arrived afterward, Hitch was impatient to see the drivers in their uniforms. In fact, she was coming more to the mast. They paid for their ticket and put on their helmets before getting into the karts. The instructor pulled to start the small vehicle. Eren pushed the throttle and ran out onto the track at full speed, shouting "Titan".   
Go figure. 

  
Armin fastened his seatbelt and nodded to the old man who approached his kart to start it. With a noise, he turned his intention towards Annie who pressed the accelerator, leaving at full speed. He took his turn in the last two with Reiner and Hitch but he swore he would catch up with them all. The racetrack was big with climbs, bridges, descents and tight turns. 

  
\- Fuck, the turns are tight! Hitch shouted.  
\- Like an anus!" Reiner laughed.   
\- Catch me you losers!" Eren laughed as she turned the wheel to enter the bend. That's... Hey!

  
Annie arrived at full speed and skidded past him before sprinting to the straight. Armin sneered as he saw the blonde speeding away in front of the group. She was really competitive but Mikasa was right behind her. 

  
The engine of the go-karts was thinking in the hangar. The petrol was slipping into the nostrils of the drivers who continued to fight on the track. Mikasa arrived first, followed very closely by Annie and then Eren. Armin was rather cautious on the runway and drove slowly, annoying most of his comrades who were passing him at full speed. 

  
\- It was a good day," smiled Reiner as he stepped outside. We'll have to do another outing like this again!  
\- As soon as the February holidays come, we'll do that," added Eren. 

  
Annie climbed into the driver's seat and fastened her seat belt. 

  
\- Can you drop me off at the hospital? Annie asked.   
\- I hope it's okay, Mikasa said leaning forward.   
\- You haven't told them?   
\- I... I didn't know if I could," Armin replied looking at him. 

  
Eren and Mikasa stared at them while they waited. 

  
\- I've been transplanted. I go to the hospital once a week to check my heart.   
\- Oh, said Eren. I'm sorry I didn't know.   
\- I'm living it well now," she said, deflecting her intention towards the windscreen. 

Armin dropped off Eren and Mikasa, who continued their journey on foot. He started the engine and set off on the road towards Maria's hospital. The journey was silent between the two young blond men, putting aside the music on the radio. Once there, he parked the vehicle and pulled the handbrake. 

  
\- Do you want me to come with you?  
\- If you want to go to the waiting room, please tease Annie.   
\- I don't mind waiting," Armin smiled on his way out. 

  
Entering the hospital, Armin raised his head and looked out over the hundreds of corridors. He stared at a few patients walking around with nurses. He didn't really like hospitals. Annie tugged on his coat sleeve to get him out of his mind. He followed her silently through the corridors. Pushing the door of the waiting room, he sat down next to Annie. 

  
\- How nice of you to come.   
\- Isn't your father coming?   
\- He works a lot. I only see him at night," Annie answered. Medical expenses are expensive even though we are almost totally reimbursed. 

  
He nodded. 

  
\- I'm glad," Armin admitted.   
\- Then you don't have to. If I were you I would rather go and have fun with my friends than wait here.   
\- I want to stay with you. 

  
She looked at him and raised her head to Hanji who passed his head through the door. 

  
\- Hello! Oh a new head! Dr. Zoe, cardiologist. Do we have an appointment?   
\- Um, no, I'm a... a friend," Armin replied.   
\- Okay, please wait, Annie, are you coming? 

  
Armin waited in the waiting room for about twenty minutes. He laid his eyes on his mobile phone where a message from his mother appeared. He warned her that she was running a little late and that he would be arriving soon. The sound of the door raised his head.

  
\- Did it go well?   
\- Everything went well! Hanji smiled, putting his hands on Annie's shoulders. Have a good evening!

  
Coming out into the car park, Armin turned towards Annie.

  
\- I had seen that you were reading L' _Etranger_?   
\- Don't talk to me about that horror," Annie scolded.   
\- I know it by heart.   
\- Oh interesting, how interesting?   
\- Everything, I love this book! Why? he asked as he got to the car.   
\- I have to analyze it and answer questions. If you like it, you can come by my house and we'll work on it. 

  
He smiled. 


	7. Chapter 7

The weekend began in torrential rain. Annie watched the drops dripping on the window, racing each other. She turned to her desk where her novel was sitting open wide and her computer was waiting quietly. She raised her head when the doorbell rang in the house. Going down the stairs, she stepped over her cat sitting in the hall. 

  
\- Hey, Armin smiled.   
\- Hi, did you find it easy? she said surprised as she closed the door behind her.   
\- I had a bit of a hard time but I'm here. He's cute," Armin exclaimed, kneeling down towards the red cat who walked towards him, purring with pleasure.   
\- Oops.   
\- Why this name?   
\- I found him in the street when he was a kitten. I didn't see him and I half squashed him and said Oops. Since then we've been inseparable. 

  
Armin took off his coat and put it on the coat rack before following Annie upstairs. He discovered a fairly large room, with a double bed in the middle. The desk on the right with the wardrobe and on the other side, a huge bookcase. 

  
\- I have almost the same one," smiled the blond man, almost running towards the books.   
\- I am especially grateful to my father's brother who has completely redecorated this room," says Annie, pulling a chair near the desk.  
\- He is indeed gifted. 

  
They settled down. Armin looked at the novel and quickly read the questions. Annie had started to answer a few, but she didn't seem satisfied. 

  
\- Well, what do you know about the _Stranger_?   
\- That the narrator is sulking. 

  
He sneered and quickly fell silent when he saw the blonde staring at him. 

  
\- Indeed, he is a stranger to himself. No emotion. Besides, Camus shows it with very simple and short sentences.   
\- What I don't like is that he talks about his life in the first part.   
\- It's a diary, Annie. We all tell our lives in a diary.   
\- Mh. 

  
Armin pulled out a sheet of paper and wrote down with a pen the main themes that Albert Camus had identified. They worked for a good hour. The rain kept hitting the windows and it was dark. Annie pressed the switch and looked at the leaf in front of her. She understood a little better. 

\- Actually, I don't know much about you? 

  
He looked up at her.

  
\- I don't have a fascinating life. Just a simple student who has facilities in class and wants to work as a scientist.   
\- Nice project. What do your parents do?   
\- My father is a gardener and my mother, a former care assistant. 

  
A silence. 

  
\- And that's all, says Armin, reflecting, his eyes raised to the wall in front of him.   
\- That's all? I think you've done more than I have, given that I have stuck in the hospital almost my entire adolescence.   
\- Not really confessed the blond man.   
\- Girlfriend? Or boyfriend?   
\- No, never... 

She nodded her eyebrows. 

  
\- Why did she nod?   
\- The first time I kissed a girl, it didn't go well," mumbled the blonde, ashamed.  
\- I'm listening to you.   
\- No, it's horrible," laughed the latter, scratching his neck. 

  
Annie crossed her arms on her chest. 

  
\- If you tell me, I agree to show you my belly bandage. Since you've been staring at the tubes all the time.   
\- What?!  
\- You think I didn't see you. Your eyes are wandering around. You're not discreet, Arlert. 

  
He mumbled incomprehensible words, nervously rubbing his hands against his jeans. 

  
\- What's up? Is it a deal?   
\- All right, but what do I have to do to see your scar there, he smiled, pointing to her chest.   
\- Hey, you're a real pervert," she says, pinching her cheek. You'll have to wait a little longer.  
\- I'm patient, Armin smiles as he looks at her.   
\- Come on, give birth, what happened?  
\- Well... I was so stressed because it was my first... I threw up on her. 

  
Annie grimaced. 

  
\- Lovely, she said, disgusted.   
\- Since then, I've never done it again, you never know.   
\- You amaze me. 

  
He shrugged and sighed before Annie pulled his shirt out of his jeans to show him a grey bandage that hid the two little pipes coming in. He stepped back to look. 

  
\- It's impressive..." Armin confessed, bringing his hand.   
\- Don't touch it, it's private," said Annie as she got dressed.   
\- Your exams are soon?   
\- Why do you always break the mood? 

  
He giggled and put his elbows on his desk while pressing his chin on his hands. 

  
\- Normally we have the same dates? asked Annie, playing with her pencil.   
\- I think so," replied Armin, writing new sentences on the paper. 

  
The wind continued to blow outside, the leaves flew and the rain redoubled its efforts. Armin looked outside, he really didn't want to drive in this weather. He remembered that one time his car had slipped on a roundabout and almost overturned. He was terrified. He looked down at the blonde woman's hand, which brushed against his as she stooped down to grab her pencil that had just fallen under his chair. He was quicker and grabbed it before giving it back to her. 

  
After two hours of hard work, Annie finally freed her slave. She watched him put on his long coat that gave him a businessman or lawyer look. They had almost the same style of dress. 

  
\- I hope that enlightened you," said Armin, pulling his satchel over his shoulder.   
\- Very much, thank you for helping me. I won't be able to help you with your classes though.   
\- Don't worry," Armin smiles and lowers his head. I have my intelligence. 

  
He swallowed his saliva and suddenly bent down, kissing her cheek before quickly turning around. Bad luck, instead of aiming for the exit, he took the door frame in his face. Annie couldn't help laughing.

  
\- Does it hurt? she asked, leaning to the side to see his face.  
\- No, don't worry," he said without turning around, his hand on his nose. See you Monday!


	8. Chapter 8

_Shiganshina University_

  
\- What's wrong with your nose? asked Mikasa.   
\- A door.   
\- Eren laughed.   
\- I've got a door," Armin rectified by placing his hand on the bandage that covered the back of his nose.   
\- You're really no good, my brother," Eren replied. 

  
The teacher finished his lesson. Armin grabbed his satchel and quickly put his things away under the interrogative gaze of his friends.

  
\- Do you have an appointment?   
\- With Annie?" Eren added. Tell me you two are getting serious, aren't you?  
\- I...I think...   
\- Do you like it? Mikasa asked.

  
Armin slipped his computer into his protection, his face burning hot. No need to add any more questions, Mikasa knew and she smiled in response. 

  
Going outside, he looked for the blonde with his eyes. The car park was gradually emptying but he couldn't find her. He took out his mobile phone and saw her waving. She was sitting on a bench, dressed as always, with pointed, modern boots. He almost ran towards her and sat down. 

  
\- What are you listening to? Armin asked. 

  
Annie pulled the earpiece out of his ear and handed it to him silently. He grabbed it and slipped it into her ear before closing his eyes. _Classic_? He was quite surprised, but he smiled. He also liked classical music. To study and help him concentrate, he put a playlist on. The violin strokes rocked him and the symphony took over. He almost forgot about his revisions, which were waiting for him on a firm footing. He could escape for a few notes? 

  
Lowering his eyes to Annie's hand, which was bored on his thigh, he timidly raised his own and placed it on top, keeping his eyes glued to him. He thought she was going to push him away, but he felt his hand turn around and their fingers gently intertwine. He had to bite his lips to avoid smiling like a ten-year-old child. 

  
\- Come on, I've got a class for you," Annie said, taking the earpiece out of the blond boy's ear. 

_Leonhart's house._

  
\- Molecules can organize themselves in different ways to make matter. For example, cells made of molecules. Moreover, the size of the cells is between 10 to the power of 5 and 10 to the power of minus 4 metres.

  
Annie looked alternately at the blond and then at the course, in total incomprehension. 

  
\- You've got to be kidding me, you know it by heart.   
\- Yes, but it's stressing me out, Armin admitted. I'm afraid I'll forget the day of the exam. 

  
The blonde pushed her bag from her knees and stood up on the double bed. 

  
\- Everyone is stressed, it's human.   
\- Yes, I don't know...   
\- You said it. You're smart so everything will be fine," Annie ended by closing her notebook.

  
He smiled and lay down on the bed, leaning on his elbow. Annie leaned against the wall and crossed her arms over her chest, her eyebrow raised. 

  
\- You didn't tell me you were drawing," Annie said, breaking the silence.   
\- I don't have much time left but yes," Armin smiled as he looked at the few drawings on the bedside table. 

  
Annie grabbed them and started to leaf through them. He suddenly remembered that he had drawn her and was about to remove the drawing when she raised her arm above her to stop him. 

  
\- No wait!  
\- What?" she smiled as she stretched her arm to her left as Armin tried desperately to grab the sketch. You don't suppose you drew me?  
\- I haven't finished it," Armin defended himself. 

  
The blonde pushed him aside before fixing the sketch. 

  
\- It looks perfectly finished to me, there's even the signature!  
\- Annie!" Armin laughed as he pulled her towards him before noticing that he was half on top of her. 

  
She stared at him silently and hid her face with the drawing. 

  
\- It's not bad. You have a good pencil stroke.  
\- Do you want me to give it to you? the blond asked timidly.   
\- How much do I owe you, Mr. Artist?" Annie replied, raising the drawing to plunge her eyes back into his. 

  
Armin lowered his gaze on her slightly half-open lips. They were pink and well drawn. His heart was beating wildly. 

  
\- If you vomit on me, I'll kill you," Annie ended up saying before pulling him by the neck, binding their lips together. 


	9. Chapter 9

Armin lived on a small cloud. He hadn't thrown up! No, he was so happy. On the way back, he had turned the music up, dancing, making a mockery of the drivers' judgmental looks. As soon as he arrived, he had rushed to his room and they had continued talking very late. His heart was pounding as soon as his mobile phone vibrated, announcing a message from his girlfriend. 

  
So that was it? To be truly in love? 

  
May it never stop.

_Shiganshina University_

  
Hitch smoked a cigarette and spat out the smoke with a gentle puff. She carried her intention towards Annie who was leaning against the wall next to her, immersed in her music. The holidays were tonight, she couldn't wait: Parties every day with alcohol! Hitch smiled at the thought. She crushed her cigarette under her heels and pulled the earpiece out of her friend's right ear. 

  
\- You've been smiling for a while now. Have you come to a conclusion?   
\- I guess so," Annie replied, taking back her earpiece.   
\- And? Aren't you going to tell me more?! Physical contact? 

  
Annie turned off her music and turned her intention towards her friend. 

  
\- Yes, she did. Hurry up, we're going to be late anyway," Annie said, grabbing her arm.   
\- Have you finished the analysis on the Stranger?   
\- I've got a good teacher," replied the blonde with a wink of her eye.   
\- Ohhhh. Say, does he give extra-curricular classes?" smiled Hitch, putting her arm around her friend's shoulders.   
\- Hands off, he's mine. 

  
Hitch sneered again.

  
\- I don't know if I should go on," confessed Annie before she felt her friend's arm wrapped around her to stop her walking.   
\- I beg your pardon?

  
Annie headbutted her backpack on her back. 

  
\- Who cares about her heart failure? Don't tell me it's because of that?  
\- If I die, I might...   
\- Shut the fuck up, we're going to be late here with your bullshit! You're gonna get a heart soon and you'll be able to get laid every day.   
\- I've been waiting for 6 years," Annie says emotionlessly. It's starting to feel like a lot, isn't it? 

  
The brunette laid her eyes on her friend while continuing to move closer to the letter building. 

  
\- So hypocritical.   
\- From ?   
\- I have to wait for someone to die before I can live," Annie replied, putting her headphones back in her long coat pocket.   
\- You're boring Annie. Have fun, let yourself go. If you have to, sleep with your beautiful stallion! Live your fucking life!

  
Annie smiles. 

  
\- Thanks for the advice, I'll think about it.

Eren scribbled on her paper before looking up at Armin's computer. He frowned when he noticed that his best friend was out of it. Normally he would type like a machine for this material, especially one that was his favorite. He had barely recognized him this morning when he joined him. 

  
\- Armin?   
\- Mh? asked the blond man, turning his head.   
\- You've been smiling since this morning... You haven't been listening to anything since this morning... Oh fuck, you did it!  
\- Jeager," Livai spat, hitting the desk. I remind you that we're in TD. If you want to talk, you're out of the way!

  
He apologized with a quick wave of his hand. Despite the warning, he leaned back in his chair towards his friend. 

  
\- What positions did you do?   
\- But are you stupid? We just kissed," Armin whispered, pretending to tap on his computer.   
\- Good start," he sneered.   
\- Jeager, you're going out," Livai ordered.   
\- Zoubi zoubi, we'll continue this conversation later.

  
Armin raised his eyes to the sky as did Mikasa. 

Walking among the endless rows of books, Annie looked through the novels with her blue eyes before stopping in front of one in particular. She pulled it out and quickly leafed through it. It seemed interesting. Tonight, there were few people, most of the students had already left. It was the holidays, who would stay? The blonde pulled her bag a little on her back and put the book away. She already had plenty to read but it was so tempting. She already had five books waiting for her and three more she had to read for comparative literature. 

  
\- Hello. 

  
Annie turned to Armin. Adorable with his grey shirt tucked into his dark jeans. He was the only boy who wore overalls straps, which were added to his outfit. 

  
\- Don't you like it? Armin sneered as he looked down at his style of dress.   
\- Dressed like Jack in Titanic, if I like it," smiled Annie as she grabbed his braces and pulled him up against her. What are you doing tonight?   
\- I haven't planned anything but it can be arranged," whispered the blond man, wrapping his arms around her.  
\- What kind of movie are you in?   
\- Fantastic of course but I like adventure films or science fiction films. I find it exciting and you?   
\- I have a film in mind. Do you want to come and watch it with me? 

  
The blond guy smiles with all his teeth. 

  
_Leonhart House_

  
The young woman screamed in terror when her limbs were cut off. Armin grimaced and turned slowly towards Annie who was devouring the film, lying beside her. A horror film, perfect. The blond man closed his eyes as the blood spurted in all directions. 

  
\- Aren't you watching? Annie asked, noticing that he was trying to be discreet by hiding his face with his hands.  
\- Yes, he did," lied the blonde, retrieving them at the wrong time when a head popped out. How do you... Not...  
\- Armin, it's fiction, it's not true. Fake blood, fake corpse..." Annie replied, looking back at the computer. 

  
He mumbled, keeping a face of disgust before turning his head towards the blonde. He took the opportunity to detail her quickly. A very light make-up, a tight black undershirt and jeans of the same color. She had a piercing with an earring. 

  
\- Armin, it's not me that you have to watch but the film.   
\- I watch what I like.

  
Annie slowly turned her head towards him. She couldn't resist the adorable, smiling face he approached. Maybe she had stumbled upon the man she was looking for. He straightened up but she slipped her hand over his chest, forcing him to lie down. Leaning on her right arm, she straightened up a little and slipped her lips over his. Armin waited patiently. She smiled and kissed him. The blond man replied shyly but he gained confidence. He put his hand on her back and then slowly moved back.

  
\- Can I ask you a question? 

  
The young woman let her hand air on his shirt and watched him silently. 

  
\- I...can I see your scar? 

  
She raised an eyebrow. 

  
\- Why do you want to see it so badly? 

  
Their hands gently bound together on his belly. 

  
\- I want to show you that I'm not afraid of it.   
\- You've already proved that to me," Annie replied. You didn't run away when I showed you the thought. But if you want to...

  
Armin blushed violently when she took off her undershirt, leaving her without a black lace bra. He clenched her jaw and opened her mouth when he saw the scar in a straight line between her breasts. She was disappearing because of her underwear but he knew she was taller. He sat up and approached his hand before stopping it. 

  
\- May I?   
\- Go ahead, Annie answered. 

  
His fingers were placed on the line of the scar before he put his whole palm down. He could hear the artificial heart beating softly. 

  
\- Medicine will always fascinate me," Armin confessed, lowering his eyes to the thought that was half-covered by his jeans.   
\- An artificial heart is a beautiful invention, I'll give you that," smiled Annie. As I see it, it's not only medicine that interests you. 

  
The blond man's cheeks suddenly burned. 

  
\- Anatomy isn't bad either," she whispered against her lips.   
\- Annie? 

  
The two blond men stared at each other, their eyes wide open. Annie quickly put her jumper back on and pulled her computer onto her lap. 

  
\- Pretend to watch. 

  
Armin did so when the blonde's father knocked on the door.

  
\- I came home instead. Hello Armin, how are you?   
\- Fine, thank you and you?   
\- Very well, you can stay and eat if you wish?   
\- No, I don't want to disturb you, thanked Armin. My parents are probably waiting for me and I prefer to warn them in advance. 

  
The father of the blonde girl went out while Annie tousled her little blonde's hair. 

  
Fucking adorable, she thought.


	10. Chapter 10

  
_Jeager House_

  
Sitting on the sofa, the trio played Switch at Mario kart. Eren loved this game and he was very talented. Most of the time he won every time but when it came to the rainbow race, Armin was the king.   
By pressing the buttons on the joystick he managed to pass his best friend who fell for the twelfth time into the void. It was fun to see Eren getting angry by himself shouting cheating or that there was a plot. Mikasa and Armin were laughing. 

  
\- It's actually Valentine's Day soon? Armin asked, frowning.

  
Mikasa glanced discreetly at Eren who seemed lost. 

  
\- Really? asked the tall brown man, looking at his friend and then at Mikasa.   
\- Yes, it's February 12th, Armin replied, confirming after putting his mobile phone away.   
\- Are you going to offer something to Annie? Flowers? 

  
He blushed violently. 

  
\- Oh, he wants to do something else!" Eren laughed as he took his friend in his arms before shaking him like a puppet.   
\- I... it hasn't been long since we've been together, it's a bit early, isn't it?   
\- You know, some people get laid before they're even a couple.   
\- Eren ! Mikasa scolded. Look Armin, if you want to do it, you do it.   
\- You sound like a talking sexologist," laughed the blond man. 

_Shopping center  
_

  
\- I don't know if it's a good idea," replied Annie, who was being dragged through the shops by Hitch.   
\- You've got to pull out all the stops for Valentine's Day, gorgeous!" smiled her friend as she pulled her into a lingerie shop.   
\- Say, you're not actually coming here for yourself?  
\- Shut your mouth. 

  
It was a little crowded. Hitch had chosen the day well. In the morning, there was no one around. Annie sighed and looked at the underwear. She smiled when she found some that were a little daring and then looked for her friend who had disappeared again. Annie went looking for her and found her in front of some other clothes. 

  
\- You put this on, he jumps on you, she smiled.   
\- Reassuring," Annie replied, looking at the lace bra. 30 euros?! I'm not putting money in that, I'm warning you!  
\- I'm giving it to you," Hitch smiled.   
\- What ? 

  
She put an arm around Annie's shoulders. 

  
\- I want my best friend to lose her virginity first so you can tell me what it's like !  
\- How am I supposed to put up with you?" Annie sighed as her friend pinned the outfit on her.   
\- Try this on for size. I'm off in search of more treasures," the brunette excitedly went before running through the shelves like a goat.

  
The bell rang. 

  
\- Ah! smiled Eren as she jumped off the couch before rushing to the front door. Hello my two bitches!

  
He took Hitch and Annie in his arms, hugging them.

  
\- Fuck, you're going to kill us," Hitch scolded. Plus you stink of smoke, it's not good for Annie!  
\- Thanks Mummy," replied the blonde, pushing Eren out of her. Believe me, as soon as I have a heart I smoke like a hole.   
\- No way, you'll take good care of that heart. Any way you make a wrong move, I'll kill you," said Hitch, pointing to her. 

Armin smiled like a child when the blonde placed her lips against his before slumping between his thighs on the sofa. 

  
\- You've been playing since a while? asked the blonde as she stood up, removing her bag to put it at her feet before melting against her boyfriend.   
\- Do you want to try it? asked Armin, handing her the controller.   
\- I know how to play," she replied as she grabbed it.   
\- I dare you to fight me," Eren intervened, jumping over the back of the couch before slumping down on it, bouncing all her friends. 

  
The dark-haired man gave his all to win, but Annie was smarter and she passed him without a problem and pushed him off. It wasn't her day. Four defeats in a row. 

  
\- Go for it, but it's a shitty game!" Eren sulked.   
\- You just suck," Hitch replied, passing him in turn.

  
Eren winked at Armin who started tickling Annie's ribs. 

  
\- That's fucking cheating, Annie replied shaking her head, trying to keep her first place.   
\- Anything goes! You win!

  
Armin put a kiss on the nape of his girlfriend's neck and she gave him a black look.   
The rain had stopped for more than two hours. The two blond men walked hand in hand along the field that was not far from Annie's house. She had told him that she loved to walk there when her father gave her more time. The path led to a nice little forest. 

  
The blonde noticed that Armin seemed stressed since they had left Eren's house. She tried to understand but he often turned his head towards the landscape. 

  
\- Arlert? she called as she stopped, pulling his hand to make him turn towards her.   
\- Mh?   
\- Don't give me that face, I know there's something bothering me. What's the matter?

  
The blond guy enters the field and sits in the grass followed by Annie who kept her eyes on him, waiting for an answer. 

  
\- I was thinking that... we could...

  
Annie raised an eyebrow and sneered before passing an arm around her shoulders, pulling his against her. 

  
\- There's no need to add to it, I know what you mean.

  
The blond man blushed more and more, ashamed. His embarrassment grew even greater because Annie didn't say anything but he knew she was mentally giggling. But he also knew that she wouldn't judge him. 

  
\- You've never done it?" Annie asked, running her hand through her blonde hair.   
\- You're going to laugh but no.   
\- Oh me too. 

  
Armin stood up, staring at her with his eyes wide open. 

  
\- What?" Annie asked.   
\- I thought you had... 

  
The blonde threw her bag in his lap. 

  
\- Even! Even though you have a different heart, it shouldn't.   
\- It's scary Armin," cut Annie.   
\- No... You...  
\- As soon as I put my hand on my chest you worry. Don't lie," replied Annie. Your eyes speak. 

  
Raising his hand, he intertwined his fingers with Annie's fingers.

  
\- I have a right to be afraid for you. No ?  
\- I'm all right, Armin. As long as you are here, I am fine. 


	11. Chapter 11

  
The holidays had started a few days ago. Our brain is in holiday mode but when it decides to remind you that in just a month's time the exams were coming, you were no longer at ease. Annie was in that mood where she was staring at her open binder on her desk without touching it. She couldn't understand how Armin could concentrate. She wondered if he was really human. Afterwards, he was a young man who was studious. She would like to find that motivation, but when you know that death is chasing you, studying doesn't mean anything to you anymore. What's the point of working for a job you'll never do? Annie wanted to have fun. She needed to have fun like young adults her age did: sex, drinking, smoking, laughing and spending her evenings surrounded by her friends. 

  
You only get one life. 

  
Annie looked down at her mobile phone as it vibrated. 

  
_"Come outside! "Message from Armin._

  
She frowned and glanced at the time: ten o'clock. Armin, are you serious? You don't sleep at this hour? Surprising. Grabbing her heels, she put on her long coat and grabbed her bag before tiptoeing down the stairs. Opening the door, she closed it again before being greeted by her favourite head. 

  
\- Why are you smiling?" Annie laughed before her lips were cut off.   
\- I'm taking you somewhere, do you trust me? 

  
It had been dark for a while but the two blond men were running like two children through the streets of the city. Held by the hand, Annie followed Armin without really knowing where he was taking her. But she didn't care. She would follow him everywhere without thinking. The wind rushed through their hair as they ran blindly on and on. Annie's coat flew behind her just like Armin's. Her legs were running so fast that she felt like she was flying. She even forgot about her heart beating so fast. She didn't want to stop this crazy race with the one she loved for anything in the world. 

  
Giggling, they apologized after having unintentionally pushed a little couple around. Armin went down the stairs of the metro, not letting go of Annie. At that hour, there were very few people, but the few passers-by watched them uncomprehendingly. A metro arrived. Annie caught her breath just as Armin did. 

  
\- Come on!

  
The blonde girl, still holding his hand, ran back towards the back of the metro. 

  
\- Aren't you going to get on the little footbridge behind? she said in her run.   
\- You read my mind!   
\- What if we get spotted?!  
\- Don't worry! I've already done it! Armin smiles before reaching the end of the metro.

  
He jumped before landing on the footbridge and reached out his hand to Annie. She grabbed it and jumped back before being caught by her boyfriend. 

  
\- Hang on here," he advised, grabbing an iron bar.   
\- What now? she asked looking across the dark tunnel. 

  
The metro started. The two blond men hung on when he started to pick up speed. Their hair flew and the tunnel lights flashed. Armin started to scream as Annie looked at him and he turned his attention to the endless tunnel. She began to scream as well, joining him. They shouted, again and again, bringing out everything they had in them: their fear, their anguish, spitting out their dark thoughts... Their cries may have been muffled by the noise of the metro, which was moving at full speed, but they didn't stop. Annie continued to scream, screaming in the face of this illness which, from now on, was no longer to block her. She was giving her a debt of honour. 

  
_I know my life is hanging by a thread but I wouldn't stop myself from doing anything from now on. You won't stop me from living, believe me._


	12. Chapter 12

\- Annie? 

  
The blonde looked up from her computer when her father entered her room. 

  
\- I'm off to work, are you going out? he asked.   
\- No... thought the blonde. I'll send you a message if I change my mind.   
\- Well," he smiled, kissing her forehead. You can invite your boyfriend.   
\- Daddy, you're going to be late. 

  
He sneered and left, closing the door behind him gently. The blonde sighed and lay down in her bed before straightening up to resume her story. She played the keys of her keyboard at full speed, inspired. She drank her glass of water before looking at her cat who climbed up on the mattress, purring with joy. Annie smiled and slipped her hand into her red coat before looking back at her eyes on the screen. She straightened her head when the bell rang and she knew exactly who it was. 

  
Armin looked around and then turned around when the front door opened. 

  
\- Hello, Armin smiled with a bouquet of roses in his hands. 

  
Annie bit her lips, her face red when he handed it to her.

  
\- I didn't know if you like Valentine's Day," admitted the blond man, scratching the nape of his neck.   
\- I'm not a big fan of parties about love but... it depends," she said, pulling her shirt down and kissing his lips.   
\- I hope I'm not disturbing you?   
\- No," Annie replied, closing the door behind them. I was writing.   
\- Oh, what are you writing?   
\- A novel about my story. I'd like to publish it one day," confessed the blonde as she headed to the kitchen to find a vase. 

  
The blond took off her coat and shoes before taking the cat in his arms who came to make his curious. He scratched his head, smiling before looking at the blonde who tenderly placed the roses in the vase. He put the cat down and was attracted by a picture frame on a shelf. He grabbed it and looked at Annie who must have been 5 years old. 

  
\- Is she your adoptive mother?   
\- Yes," Annie replied as she joined him. She died 10 years ago now.   
\- I'm sorry, mumbled the blond man, disgusted to have caused this pain again.   
\- I grieved a long time ago. Would you like something to drink?   
\- No, don't worry.

  
Jumping into bed, Annie quickly reread the chapter she was writing. Armin spun around in the revolving chair at her desk before grabbing a cushion at his feet. He glanced at Annie, who seemed very focused on what she was doing, as her eyes glued to the screen. He smiled and threw the cushion at her.

  
Annie raised her eyes and put them on the cushion beside her. She straightened up, grabbed it and threw it back. Armin grabbed it in the face and almost lost his balance. 

  
\- No... 

  
The cushion crashed into Annie's face and Annie caught it at full speed before Armin took it back. She hit him several times with it, while he desperately protected himself with his hands. Armin tried to take him away but she was faster and sent him right in her face. They giggled like children.

  
\- Stop or I'll lift you up!

  
Annie stopped, the cushion above him ready to shoot him on his not so innocent head. 

  
\- You? she asked with a sly smile.   
\- I? he asked with a red face.

  
The blond man's heart was pounding against her chest as she approached him. No request or word, they knew what they wanted. Their lips met softly and timidly. Annie slipped her hand on the blond man's cheek, pushing him onto the bed before straddling him. She had never done this before, but strangely enough, her hands had. The warmth quickly enveloped the room. Armin straightened up, pulling her on his thighs, keeping his lips against hers. He slid his male hands over her forms before stopping at her jeans, ready to take off his undershirt. 

  
\- May I? he said between sighs. 

  
The blonde smiled against his lips and pulled her jumper penny over her head, throwing it blindly into the room. She noticed Armin's face, which turned red when he discovered the bra.

  
\- As Hitch says, Kinder surprise version.   
\- On the outside you're already a surprise," Armin smiled, kissing her lips before leaning towards her scar. 

He kissed this mark that meant so much to Annie. He could feel her artificial heart drumming against her chest with the tip of his lips. Armin slipped his hands behind her back and backed away when Annie's hands unbuttoned the buttons on his shirt. She seemed to be struggling and frowned angrily. 

  
\- Wait," Armin laughed as he helped her before taking it off.   
\- Not bad," she said, stroking the blond man's weak abs, who was content to blush. 

  
They undressed in a hurry, kissing again and again without wanting to take off their clothes. Timidly, he caressed the blonde's chest, keeping his eyes on the scar that stopped between her breasts. She was beautiful. A silhouette sculpted out of stone by a deity. A goddess. He was crazy about her. He was in love with her. She made his head spin, he was sure of that. 

  
Armin slid his hand against her cheek and placed his lips on it, then on her forehead and then on her mouth. He wanted to explore every part of her body, every gateway. He wanted to take his time, to love her and not to rush. Her naked skin rubbed against his own, making him completely crazy and more eager. His male hand gently caressed the thought, being very careful not to lean against it. 

  
\- Don't worry," Annie whispered. It's resistant.   
\- You never know," said Armin, worried. I don't want to send you to the hospital. 

  
Annie smiled and slipped her hand into the back of his neck, kissing him ardently and enviously. Their tongues were subjected to a battle that Annie quickly won. He was gentle with her, that was all she wanted. His hands were still shy on her, asking permission every time. He was adorable. She managed to push him to the side to change position. She preferred to be on top actually, it was much more fun. 

  
The young man looked at her, his eyes were wide open as she slid over him. He closed his eyes when she kissed his chest and went even lower. Her hands caressed his ribs and then her weak abs. He trembled against her body and let out a faint moan that made the blonde's head rise. 

  
\- I'm sorry," he said with his hand over his mouth.   
\- Ticklish, I see.   
\- Hey!

  
Annie smiled and came back towards his neck, sliding her lips against his skin before kissing him. He clenched her jaw as she pressed herself against him with envy. His crotch was really starting to itch and he tried to concentrate on her kisses. 

  
\- Annie... please," Armin begged, slipping his hands through her loose blonde hair. 

  
She came back to his face and was taken by surprise when he straightened up, kissing her passionately. She scolded when he switched places again. His dominant little side actually pleased her very much. 

  
Armin leaned towards her chest and kissed each of her breasts before touching them shyly. He straightened up and then his arm back when he felt the blonde's leg sticking against his hip. 

  
\- I'm scared," the blond confessed, his face blushed. 

  
She looked at him and slipped her hands against his cheeks.

  
\- Me too, but I trust you," she whispered. I'm stressed but I know you won't hurt me.   
\- If you're in pain you tell me. Will you tell me if you're in pain? I'll stop immediately.   
\- Hey," she says, pulling his face against hers, rubbing their noses together. Go ahead.

  
The young blond boy nodded his head and stole a kiss from her before backing away. He slipped between her legs, caressing them to reassure her weak tremors. He kept his eyes on Annie's face, which became deformed as he entered the room. He stopped, but the blonde's legs closed behind her pelvis, suddenly pushing her. He quickly pulled himself back against her, caressing her red cheeks. He pushed the few rebellious hairs that stuck against Annie's face. 

\- Are you all right? he asked.   
\- Give me two minutes," she said, moving against the mattress, calming her breathing. 

  
Armin nodded his head and kissed her cheek while caressing the other with his thumb. 

  
\- You can do it," she blew. 

  
He kissed her lips so she could concentrate on something else when he started to move. But Annie quickly threw her head back. Her fingernails quickly stuck in his back, scratching him halfway, but he couldn't feel a thing. Armin kissed her exposed neck, keeping his hand behind the blonde's head. The pain turned into pleasure and her face became less tense, which reassured Armin.   
Annie brought her blue eyes back to his face. 

  
\- You've already been enjoying yourself for a little while... she smiled.  
\- Not you? sulked the blond man.   
\- A little... pain but there... Don't tell me it's your first time.   
\- Yes, Armin smiled and kissed her lips. Am I good?   
\- You're already content to accomplish the Arlert mission. 

  
With his eyes dilated, Armin accelerated the kidney strokes, feeling the body of the blonde reacting quickly against his own. She was magnificent. Her blond hair scattered around her, her eyes looking at him with envy and her mouth ajar. He wanted to love her with all his soul. He was ready to do anything for her. He would give her everything. She moaned his name which sounded like a melody to his ears. 

  
\- Annie... he moaned, sticking his forehead against hers.   
\- Don't stop," the blonde whispered. 

  
He accelerated again and again. The blonde's nails scratched his back but he didn't care. With his eyes closed, he felt Annie's hands move, grabbing his face. 

  
\- Look at me, please. 

  
He opened his eyes again, looking into her own. He gave one last blow before coming. The blonde dropped her head against the pillow, still supported by the blonde's hand. Breathless, they concentrated on their breathing. Armin had gently withdrawn from her and held her close to him, gently rocking her. 

  
\- To be done again, smiled Annie. 

  
Armin sneered, moving to see her face. 

  
\- I love you," he murmured, caressing her cheeks.   
\- I love you too. 


	13. Chapter 13

  
Immersed in a silence, Armin listened to the beating of her heart. With his ear glued to her chest, he savored this melody. After getting dressed, the two blonds wrapped themselves in the blankets. Doing nothing was just as satisfying. Armin just wanted to hang on to Annie, not wanting to let go of her. He smiled like a fool when the blonde's right hand, ventured into her blonde hair. Her other arm was wrapped around his back to keep it against her. 

  
\- Don't you have exams to study for?   
\- Mh," Armin muttered half asleep.   
\- Are you tired already?   
\- I need to get my strength back, you know? 

  
Annie giggled, kissing the top of his head before deferring her intention in front of her. She raised her eyes when he straightened up, a blissful smile on his lips. 

  
\- How beautiful you are.   
\- You're beautiful too," Armin replied, kissing her tenderly. 

  
The blond man's mobile phone rang, breaking this tender moment. He scolded and leaned towards the bedside table to grab it. He picked up the phone, turning his back on Annie. Annie continued caressing his hair in silence.

  
\- Damn it, my mother.   
\- Is something wrong?" Annie worried as she looked at him.   
\- Her car broke down and my father is at work. I have to go and get her, I'm sorry.  
\- Don't worry," smiled Annie, pinching his nose before straightening up. 

  
The blond man sat down on the bed and got ready to get up before turning to Annie who sat down. She tilted her head to the side and noticed that he was going to say something to her.

  
\- Annie, thank you. 

  
She frowned. 

  
\- I... I feel like I've gained confidence since I've been by your side.   
\- It's the same for me," she said tenderly. When you're here, I forget my illness. 

  
He smiled and moved closer to her, taking her in his arms. 

  
\- Remember when you told me I shouldn't get attached? 

  
Annie lowered her head when her chin was gently grabbed by the blond man's hand. 

  
\- You wanted to protect me? 

  
She clenched her jaw. 

  
\- I am indeed terrified of losing you but I know you are strong.   
\- Armin...Stop...   
\- Don't think about the future Annie. Think about the present moment. Live it as if it were your last. Don't waste a minute, let go, make yourself smile. Keep your head up. Do whatever comes into your head, even if it's crazy stuff. 

  
She smiles. 

  
\- Just do it.   
\- I promise you I will. 


	14. Chapter 14

The holidays were over. The two blonds had spent their day together, discovering each other in every possible way. Annie had a different vision of the thing. Armin had shown her that illness should not be an obstacle and he was right. 

  
But the disease was much stronger than anything else. If she had decided to destroy your dreams, she was going to do it, and she was going to do it without your judgment.   
Mr. Leonhart closed the front door and put the groceries on the kitchen table. He smiled when he saw the cat rubbing against his legs. 

  
\- Annie, I'm home!" he called out to her, scratching the small animal's head. Annie? 

  
The stress rose quickly and he climbed the stairs to his room. He pushed the door open and discovered in horror, his daughter lying unconscious on the floor. 

  
\- Annie?! shouted her father as he threw himself on the floor, turning her gently towards him. 

  
He put his ear against her chest. The heart was beating at an abnormal rate. It whistled loudly. It sounded like a robot going crazy, spinning at full speed. 

  
_Shingashina Hospital_

  
Running at full speed through the hospital's endless corridors, Armin had jumped into his car as soon as he received the call from Mr. Leonhart. Panicking, he rushed to the front desk and asked where a woman named Annie Leonhart was. The old lady told him in a neutral tone that she was in the O.R. and hadn't heard from her since. Stressed, Armin turned around and ran into Mr. Leonhart who recognized him. He burst into tears in his arms.

  
\- It's all right, my boy. 

  
Time went on and on. Armin sat on the benches in the corridors next to Mr. Leonhart who held his cane between his legs. The nurses were running in front of them, the stretchers were rolling but they were completely absent. The blond man stared at the ground in silence, his hands tied in front of him. 

  
_No matter how hard you fight, illness always wins._

  
Armin clenched his jaw to Annie's words. He buried his face in her hands. 

  
\- Mr. Leonhart? called a woman. 

  
The blond man quickly straightened his head and watched the old man stand up and limp to Dr. Zoe.

  
\- She is well. The artificial heart had a malfunction which accelerated it abnormally. You did very well to be very active. Otherwise.... I don't think she would have... Survived," Hanji confessed, placing a hand on his shoulder. Would you like to see her ?   
\- Yes, please," begged the father. 

  
The old father entered the room and found his daughter hooked up to machines again. It broke his heart to see her in such a state. She was dreaming of traveling, she was once again stuck in that ruthless place. He approached her, putting his eyes on the oxygen mask that covered her nose and mouth.

  
\- Daddy.   
\- Hey, he smiled as he put his hand on her forehead. I'm proud of you.   
\- I... almost died again," she blew.   
\- You are much more stubborn than this disease, you...  
\- Dad I want it to stop. 

  
His face suddenly fell in front of his daughter's words.

  
\- I want to die. 


	15. Chapter 15

  
_I had said these words after thinking long and hard but especially when I heard my father screaming beside me when I was unconscious. I didn't want to make him suffer anymore. I didn't want to make Armin and Hitch suffer anymore. I imprisoned them, I was a poison that consumed them. I wanted to die to free them because they are everything to me. But when you have two friends as stubborn as Armin and Hitch who give you a moral lesson that lasts more than an hour, it's pretty complicated._

  
\- I forbid you Annie!" scolded Hitch, grabbing her ankles hidden under the white sheet. Don't tell me you're giving up!

  
Armin caressed Annie's forehead, looking at her in silence. 

  
\- You've already done this kind of thing and the next day you were walking again... My old woman, you're going to do the same thing again. Tomorrow you're up and living! You move your ass!

  
Annie stared at Hitch then turned her attention to Armin who was holding back from crying.

  
_People loved me. They were willing to suffer so that I could live._

  
\- You piss me off," Annie replied. 

  
Hitch and Armin smiled in unison. 

  
The sun shone in the sky and watched like a mother over the patients walking in the hospital park. Annie sat on a bench with Armin who put one arm around her pelvis. According to her doctor, she will be able to go out tonight and resume a "normal" life. 

  
For the time being. 

  
\- What do you want to do when you go out?" asked the blond man, pushing a rebellious lock of hair behind his ear. 

  
Annie thinks. 

  
\- Sex with you?   
\- It can be arranged, Armin smiled and kissed her lips.   
\- Just forget as much as possible about my illness and as you say. Live. I don't want anything else. 

  
The young man hugged Annie who laid her head against his shoulder. He watched in the distance as the young children played innocently, not thinking about the future that awaited them. The leaves danced around them, pushed by gentle winter wind.

  
\- The donor must have the same blood type as you? 

  
She nodded. 

  
\- He must be young? 

  
She took off her head and stared at him with a frown. 

  
\- What the hell is...   
\- Nothing, smiles Armin. I'm just asking around! Hey, I listened to a study, you know what it says? he added, trying to change the subject. A woman thinks about sex 18 times a day. So the pervert between you and me is you.

  
The blonde blushes.

  
\- Do you think about it?   
\- Normal, you just said it! Annie got annoyed, crossing her arms on her chest. Shameful.   
\- You have a perverse mind.   
\- Tell the one who said: "I'll lift you up. »  
\- I panicked," Armin mumbled. But you liked it.


	16. Chapter 16

_Shingashina University_

  
\- Indeed, the poets of the new spirit turn more to everyday life, unlike those who shut themselves away in their ivory towers, Erwin added, turning to his elevated ones who were snoozing on the tables.

They piss me off," he murmured.

  
Pianoting on her phone, Annie had completely given up. At the same time, it was much more interesting to warm up her boyfriend who was trying to listen to her science lecture. Given the quick answers she had, he didn't seem very studious either. 

  
\- Can I ask why you are smiling like an idiot? The class is boring," says Hitch.   
\- It's nothing.   
\- What are you sending Armin again?   
\- Marlowe is looking at you.  
\- Oh is it true?! exclaimed the young woman as she turned her head away, looking for her Crush.   
\- How's it going with him, by the way?" asked the blonde, continuing to play discreetly on her mobile phone.  
\- It's going, it's going. I've made eye contact that's not bad.   
\- It's a start indeed," she smiled. 

  
The teacher announced the end of the lesson. Annie pulled her bag over her back and grabbed her satchel before following Hitch to the exit of the amphitheatre. She joined Armin, who took her satchel and kissed her lips with tenderness. 

  
\- Annie, you've seen the messages you've sent me," he whispered, his cheeks red.   
\- What? You didn't just have to "warm me up" before," replied the blonde with a shrug before greeting her friend who was leaving in the opposite direction. So, did you want me to make you study for your nerd class again?   
\- Yes please and... I was wondering if... Did you want to sleep at my place tonight? My parents would love it. 

  
Annie stared at him with a smirk on her face. 

  
\- Why not, if you study hard enough, I'll do it. 

_Arlert's House_

  
Lying on the blond man's bed, Annie listened to her boyfriend who recited his lesson by heart. She couldn't understand a thing about all the calculations on her notebook pages, but seeing the blond man's face and the analyses he revealed orally, she said to herself that he was really confident. He was an extraordinary person. She was lucky. 

  
\- That's it," Armin smiled as he stood up on the bed.   
\- Not bad," said the blonde, turning a page of his notebook before closing it. I'll be back in two minutes. 

  
Armin followed her, his eyes shining before she disappeared out of his sight. He straightened up, pulled out the drawer and grabbed his medicine. He took a tablet and drank some water before quickly closing it again when the blonde reappeared. He straightened up, his eyes widened and his cheeks flared up. 

  
\- What?" Annie asked, her shoulder stuck against the door frame in her underwear.   
\- Hello," Armin smiled, tapping the mattress. 

  
He straightened up as she sat down on her thighs, a blissful smile on her lips as she put her backpack down beside them. 

  
\- Nice to meet you, Armin Arlert?   
\- Annie Leonhart, she whispered against his lips.   
\- It seems to me that you are asking for something? Am I wrong? 

  
She slid her arms around his neck and frowned while shrugging her shoulders. 

  
\- I don't know. What do you think?

  
They kissed before falling into bed, giggling tenderly like two children. Armin was quickly stripped of his clothes. He liked it when Annie took the lead. He was reassured because he was still a little clumsy in his gestures. Their tongues fought, Annie's hands rushed into his hair, brushing it out of his hair, even though he had combed it well. He roared with pleasure when she kissed his exposed throat. Her tongue slipped over his skin before he could feel her teeth chewing on it. 

  
After having teased his blonde for a long time, it was her turn. Annie was very impatient when he slipped on her. His masculine hands caressed her hips and then came to tease her chest before descending towards her thighs. Their mouths didn't separate. Annie wouldn't let him take his hands off her. She wanted to keep him against her body until the end.

  
Armin moved inside her, his face buried against her shoulder. He could feel the blonde's nails scratching his back again as soon as he moved his muscles. She excited him, even more, when she whispered his name against his ear and that made him go even faster until he reached the climax. 

\- You saw all the scratches on my back," Armin complained, rolling over his belly to show him the marks. 

  
Annie looked at him and smiled before pulling the blanket over her. 

  
\- You did the same thing," she said, pointing to the many hickeys on her neck.   
\- I'm marking what's mine," Armin smiled as he slid against her, wrapping his protective arms around her.   
\- Well it's the same," Annie replied between kisses. 

  
They kissed again with ardor before separating. The blond man grabbed the bag that contained Annie's heart, bringing it closer to her to prevent her pipes from pulling. 

  
\- Honestly... If every time I get this gift as soon as I recite a good lesson... I'd like to recite the one about Geology. 

  
She sneered more and more beautifully. 

  
\- I'll be right back," he said, kissing her lips before grabbing his boxers and going to the bathroom. 

  
Annie lay back in bed and put her hand on her chest to listen to her heart. She blinked and gently straightened up on her elbows before she noticed a tablet on the floor. Frowning, she bent down and grabbed it before studying it. Worried, she pulled out the drawer and found many boxes of medicine.

  
Armin is sick. 


	17. Chapter 17

_Is Armin sick? No, that's not possible... Medication for acute pain?_ Annie grabbed all the boxes and studied them silently, reading the side effects. Pain, headaches, tremors... 

  
\- Hey, I...   
\- What's this?" she says, pointing to an orange medicine capsule. 

  
The blond man clenched his jaw. 

  
\- Have you searched?   
\- There was a tablet on the floor. Armin... You? 

  
Annie opened her mouth when he burst into tears. She reached out her hand to him to make him come back to her and he did. The blond man came quickly to curl up against her naked body, under the covers. He buried his face against her chest, crying discreetly while Annie tried to calm him down by massaging the back of his neck. 

  
\- Please talk to me," she whispered, rubbing her back.   
\- When I was 15, I was diagnosed with Charcot's disease. It is a progressive paralysis. 

  
The blonde closed her eyes, holding the blonde more tightly against her. 

  
\- I'm already starting to have difficulties when I move my limbs. I have pain everywhere sometimes. Soon I will end up in a wheelchair, paralyzed, speechless, forced to use a computer to make myself understood. I will be a waste product that will cost the state money while I will contribute nothing.   
\- Armin...   
\- I don't want to end up like that Annie. I am terrified. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to leave me.   
\- I won't do it foolishly, she says, catching her face, blinding their eyes. I love you and I'm staying.   
\- Will you say that in ten years' time? When I'm half gaga on my wheelchair?   
\- Yes," Annie answered with all her sincerity. Always. 

  
He watched her, tears kept slipping down his red cheeks. Annie caressed his face with tenderness, pushing his hair down on his forehead like claws. 

  
\- We're out of luck, aren't we? she murmured. We're convicts. 

  
He mumbled an incomprehensible word in response, resting his forehead against hers. 

  
\- You told me that we should make the most of every day. Live as if it were your last. So...We're going to do it together. 

  
He opened his eyes to fall into Annie's eyes. 

  
\- We're going to have fun. We'll do what we like, OK? 

  
The blond man smiled as Annie wiped away her tears. 

  
\- Together?" Armin murmured.  
\- Together. 


	18. Chapter 18

Their promise. To do everything together and have fun. Armin was planning to do it with the one he loved. The next day, they had skipped school. In the meantime, Armin had confessed his illness to his friends. They must have known about it. It had been a real blow for them but they understood why he had remained silent all those years. 

  
Why do sick people put others before themselves?

  
It was a hot day. The hottest of the week. The small group had skipped a day in order to go swimming together in the sea near the Ackermans' house. Eren ran at full speed on the small deck and jumped into the water, splashing Ymir and Historia who insulted him with every possible name. Reiner danced for no reason at all in front of Berthold's eyes. Mikasa was on the wooden bridge with Armin who rolled Annie's thought over and over again with a cloth that could withstand the water. 

  
\- Water should not seep in. It's more reassuring," said Armin as he looked at his work.   
\- Thank you, she smiles. But for the...   
\- I take the bag on my back. I'm taller so it shouldn't leak," replied the blond. 

  
Annie pinched his nose before kissing him and following him into the water. Holding his hand, she stopped when the water reached her belly. She slipped against Armin who had put her bag on his back as planned. 

  
\- You chose the place well, Armin said, placing his kisses against her neck.   
\- Why did you do that?   
\- The ocean is a place full of secrets and extraordinary things.   
\- I'm still your girlfriend. I know you," Annie said, holding him close to her. 

  
Lying on the warm sand, side by side, the two blond men stared at the blue sky. They could hear their friends bickering in the water and they knew it was going to end badly. The sun was shining in the sky and it let its rays fall gently on their young faces. 

  
\- You said we shouldn't talk about the future, but...

  
Annie turned her head towards him. 

  
\- When we finish our studies, how would you like to... Come and live with me? You said you wanted to study in Bordeaux?   
\- It would be a pleasure," the blonde confessed, taking his hand. Waking up every morning looking like that. 

  
He sneered. 

  
\- Are you ready to live with a handicapped person?   
\- I'm ready to live with the man I love," Annie corrected.   
\- Will you want children?   
\- You're projecting yourself far away, tell me," smiled the blonde, turning a little towards him.   
\- Life is short... mumbled Armin as he looked at her.   
\- With you, yes. 

  
Her eyes shone. 

  
\- What would you like to call them?   
\- Mh... Laura if it's a girl and... For a boy, I don't know yet, she confessed, looking at the sky.   
\- It's pretty. For a boy, I like Thomas, says Armin.   
\- It's cute indeed. 

  
They rested their intention towards the blue sky. The wind blew softly and carried the joyful laughter of their comrades to their ears. 

  
\- Annie? called out to the blond man as he stood up, turning towards her.  
\- Mh?   
\- Do you promise to be happy in spite of my choices?   
\- What do you mean?" Annie replied frowning.  
\- Even though my choices may disappoint you, you will love me?   
\- Of course I'll love you," she said, pushing him against the sand before lying down on him. I'll love you until the end and even after. 

_Thank you Annie._


	19. Chapter 19

_I lived my best days by your side. I even forgot my illness. You made me laugh and smile and love me. That's all I asked for. I didn't ask for anything else but for you to be by my side. But the disease had come back and my artificial heart had completely failed me. Now I am back to square one. Hooked up to machines that helped me breathe and forced this heart to beat. Nailed in a hospital bed, I could hear the children laughing in the corridors, without any doubt that death was right next door. Plunged into an artificial coma to keep me alive, I could hear my father's crying and your crying. I was torn, I hated myself because I couldn't hold you in my arms or say "I love you". I couldn't do it._

  
_I was a piece of rubbish._

  
_I was locked up in a cocoon but your voice was my ray of sunshine. My father's and Hitch's too. I felt happy and I knew you would never leave me._

  
_And then..._

  
_One day you told me something..._

  
_"I've left you a letter telling you about my choice. Please don't tell me what I'm going to do because it's my choice, my dream... I am doing it because I love you. »_

  
_A kiss on my lips and then your hand on my cheek had suddenly moved away. You left._

  
_Armin? Where were you going?_

  
_I wanted to get out of here to follow you, to know what you were going to do and I understood._

  
_That's why you were asking me all those questions? The donor must not have a respiratory or heart-related abnormality? That the donor must have the same blood group? That I had to love you in spite of the choices?_

  
_I had woken up. I had opened my eyes and fell into my father's gaze as he held me close to him. I wasn't sure what was happening but I was breathing. I was breathing without a machine. My skin was pulling at my chest so I looked. My scar was fresh, it showed that I had been operated on again._

  
_I understood._

  
_I understood that the heart beating inside me was yours._

  
_I understood when I saw the look in your parents' eyes and when they had listened to your heart beating joyfully inside me._

  
_You left a letter that I had read while crying, telling me that the disease was destroying you every day. Your desire to travel in this world would never come true because you didn't want to be locked in a wheelchair. When I was in a coma, that was the trigger for you. I needed a donor where I would die. You actually had this idea long before I went through this. You had it when I told you I was different._   
_You had already planned to end your life to save me._

  
_I hated you for that. If I could have, I would have probably slapped you, shaken you awake and changed your mind but you are so stubborn Armin._

  
_You gave me your life so that I could live._

  
_You live in me now._

  
_You are part of me._

  
_I will never be able to give you back what you gave me but I promise to live each moment as if it were my last. I promise to smile and be happy because you are here. You have never abandoned me and I will never forget you._

  
_Because you and I made a promise to each other._

  
_We made a promise to each other._

_10 years later._

  
\- You have beautiful handwriting!" smiled the old lady. And your story is incredible... And the cover design is beautiful! Is it you?   
\- Thank you," smiles Annie as she signs her novel before giving it back to her. And yes, it's a self-portrait. The artist who made it is very talented.   
\- Is it him? 

The author winked at her. 

  
After having finished signing hundreds of novels, the blonde packed up her things. She was thanked by the library manager.

  
\- Mommy! 

  
Annie turned her head towards the little blonde head who ran at full speed towards her. 

  
\- Sweetheart, she smiled as she hugged her son against her. Don't tell me you've run away from your godmother's fingers again?   
\- I hate that kid," said Hitch as he arrived, out of breath, hands on her knees.   
\- Thomas, what did we say? said Annie, frowning. You stay next door when it's crowded.   
\- But... there's no one there!" the boy sulked. 

  
The blonde raised her eyes to the sky, smiling before taking him in her arms. 

  
\- Even so, I want you to stay next to your godmother, okay?   
\- Are you on call this week? Hitch asked when she arrived.   
\- Yes," said Annie, pulling her satchel over her shoulder as she walked out of the shop with her son in her arms. Isn't Marlowe home yet?   
\- No, meeting. I'll have to wait... I've got to go now, I've got a ton of things to do. Have a good evening, bitches!

  
Parking the car on the pavement. Annie closed the door and helped her son out. They walked hand in hand to the beach where the sun was starting to set. The orange rays softly lined their faces as the wind calmly rushed through their hair. 

  
\- I like it here," said Thomas as he gazed at the ocean.  
\- For it is full of secrets and extraordinary things.   
\- Later I'll go around the world!  
\- Will you take your old mummy along?" smiled Annie as she looked at him.   
\- Yes!" exclaimed the little one. 

  
Turning around, the little boy exposed all his plans, jumping on the spot under his mother's tender gaze.

  
_Sometimes I wonder if this child doesn't take after you. He has the same eyes and the same determination._


End file.
